Becks joins Posh's team

It has long been suspected that she is the one who wears the trousers in Britain's most talked-about relationship.

Further weight was added to that suspicion yesterday when David Beckham dumped his agents SFX in favour of his wife's manager, Simon Fuller.

While long-term manager Tony Stephens will continue to look after all his footballing needs, it will be Fuller - the music svengali behind Pop Idol - who will be in charge of the much more lucrative marketing deals.

Fuller, who created the Spice Girls, has recently taken on the job of managing Mrs Beckham's troubled music career.

'Victoria has pushed for this from the beginning,' said a source in Fuller's company, 19, yesterday.

'She was desperate to get Simon as her manager again because she believes he can break her in America but he would only have her if her husband came too.

'David was still under contract with SFX, so Fuller signed a deal to look after the Beckham brand.

'Now that there is no SFX in the picture, it means that he will be in charge of all of Beckham's nonfootballing interests.

'It may not be the best thing for David - Fuller did not do brilliantly when he managed his only other footballer, Steve McManaman.

'But Victoria has convinced David that Fuller is best for both of them.'

Fuller may yet have cause to regret signing up the celebrity couple. He is known already to be rowing with Mrs Beckham about her forthcoming album.

He does not like the rap songs she has recorded with DJ Damon Dash but she is insistent that they go on the album.

A spokesman for Beckham said yesterday: 'David has today confirmed that he will part company with the SFX Sports Group. His contract was due for renewal and he has decided, with Euro 2004 and his busy year ahead in Madrid, that he will be focusing entirely on football and will not be taking on any new commercial activities in the short term, except as part of his club commitments.

'He will continue to work with his current sponsors and Tony Stephens will continue to look after his football affairs.'

The move is not expected to affect his security arrangements in Madrid, where he employs two teams of English and Cuban minders.

Beckham, 28, was back at his fivestar Santo Mauro Hotel last night when the split was made public. He trained in the morning with his Real Madrid teammates.

His 29-year-old wife is expected to fly out from Britain to join the England captain for a short stay early this morning.

The couple, who last month issued a statement denying that they were experiencing difficulties in their marriage, are likely to view several properties as they continue house-hunting in the Madrid area.